This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Marco Silva is still under immense pressure at Goodison Park, despite managing to get the club six points away from the drop zone. The former Watford boss may have earned himself some more time with the win against Southampton, but the clash with Norwich City represents another must-win.

Should the Toffees snatch three points from the Canaries, Silva could get his side nine clear from relegation zone and onto the same points as fifth-placed Sheffield United should other results go their way.

However, the clash with Norwich is more than just a battle at the bottom. Silva must finally find his best starting XI at Goodison Park on Saturday if the club is to have any chance of emerging from a brutal run of fixtures thereafter.

In the month of December, Everton will play eight matches, including fixtures against Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Leicester City.

Considering Everton's current form, it is tough to see the Toffees picking up many points from those fixtures.

Furthermore, injuries have been a major issue for Silva to contend with, as Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin are both still sidelined.

Now, with a depleted squad at his disposal, Silva must take a step closer to figuring out his best XI to set the tone ahead of a menacing run of games.

There is likely to be chopping and changing before the turn of the year, but it's paramount that Silva knows his best starting lineup to manage the fitness of his players accordingly and ensure his best players are firing in the most vital fixtures.

The Portuguese boss is facing a potentially defining period in his tenure at Goodison Park and he cannot be heading into this slice in time with only a half-baked idea of what his strongest side should look like.